The Next Guardian: Sarah the Witch
by puellaignava
Summary: The witch who guards children on Halloween has been selected by the Man in the Moon as the new guardian. Mere years after Jack was chosen, the guardians wonder what might have brought this about. Jack volunteers to bring Sarah the Witch to the North Pole to be sworn in. But who is she? And why does Jack recognize her?
1. The New Guardian

_The first I thing remember was ashes. The air was thick with gray ashes. I tripped and stumbled through what remained of a large building. A quick glance upwards revealed a full Moon in the night sky. He spoke to me. He gave me a name. And that was the last I ever heard from the Man in the Moon…_

**Sarah the Witch**

Jack Frost flew through the air towards the North Pole, laughing hysterically as he followed the Aurora Lights that signaled trouble. This was the first time he was being summoned as a Guardian and he had to admit, he was excited for whatever was brewing.

He drifted into North's workshop and found the other four Guardians already gathered. Tooth was busily flittering around, giving orders to her fairies, Bunny and North were arguing about which holiday was more important and Sandy was sipping hot cocoa.

"I hope I'm not too late." Jack said with a smirk as he landed lightly.

"Aye, ya are." Bunny responded cheekily as one of Tooth's fairies fainted.

"Ladies, need I remind you? Pull yourself together!" Tooth chided brightly.

"So, what's the trouble?" Jack asked, glancing up at the Moon.

"Not quite sure yet. Ah, but look…" North answered, pointing at the moonlight falling softly on the floor. "What is it old friend, what now?" The five guardians stare at the small circle of light on the floor. At first, nothing happened. Then Pitch's profile filled most of the circle.

"Again already?" Jack asked, bewildered.

"Look!" North shushed him.

The shadow of Pitch transformed into the profile of what appeared to be a young witch. The girl had a large, pointy hat, glasses and pigtails.

"Who is that?" North wondered aloud.

"That's Sarah." Jack answered off handedly. "I wonder what this means?"

"Sarah?"

"Sarah the Witch." Tooth said harshly. "She rules over Halloween. Worst holiday ever! So many cavities!"

"Didn' know Halloween had a mascot." Bunny said.

"It does, she just not…widely known. She can't be seen." Jack added softly, looking away. None of the guardians said anything; they looked at each other with a slightly worried expression.

Suddenly, the pool of moonlight changed. Out of the floor rose a large crystal.

"He's picking another guardian already?" Tooth said incredulously.

"Guess something serious is up." Jack mused.

The crystal glowed brightly and above it-

"No way." Jack said.


	2. The Halloween Witch

Sarah watched as families up and down the neighborhood put up Halloween decorations with a smile. Little children ran around screaming with laughter, wearing masks and chasing their friends. Twirling her brown hair in one finger and fiddling with her broom with the other, Sarah sighed and sat up. The roof of her dilapidated home was warm in the sunlight. Quickly jumping up, she swung her broom between her legs and zoomed through the streets, laughing madly. On the way, she nudged a little girl out of traffic, saved a boy from falling into an ant pile and kicked a ball out of the street. She made a wide turn and returned to her old, aged home. She smiled softly at the two story home that she had lived in for as long as she could remember, nearly three hundred years now.

Inside, her modest black shoes clacked against the rotting wooden floorboards. She sat her large black witches hat on the hat rack next to the front door and stretched. Dusting off her pleated skirt, she strode into family room and slumped on the moth-eaten couch.

"Resting so close to Halloween?" a dark voice said from the shadowy fireplace. Sarah looked up in alarm, then relaxed.

"Pitch, you know not to startle me like that. It's not very nice." She said teasingly as Pitch glided into the room. "What do you want?"

"Why do you always assume I want something?"

"Because you always do."

Pitch chuckled. "Very well. I-" He stopped and turned towards the door. "We'll talk later. You have a visitor." He turned to shadow and disappeared just as there was a knock at the door.

Frowning, Sarah stood up and slowly approached her front door. Another knock made her jump slightly; she cautiously reached out and opened it a crack.

"Who is it?" she asked. _Wait, no, that's stupid; no one can see me_. She thought.

But the white haired young man outside her door was looking her right in the eye. A pang of recognition shot through her just as his eyes widened.

"Do I….know you…" she whispered, opening the door slightly wider.

"Sarah….its me, Jack." The man whispered, reaching for her. She wanted to back away and close the door. But something caused her to remain where she was.

"Jack…Jack who?"

His eyes tightened, and he drew back his hand. "You don't….remember…do you?" Sarah shook her head, her pigtails swinging. He sighed. "I'm Jack Frost now."

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to bring you to the North Pole."


	3. Her Night and His Foe

Sarah stared at him. "The North Pole? Why?"

"You've been selected to be a new guardian."

"What's that?"

Jack blinked. "Guardians are...like, me, and North and Bunny...we protect the children of the world."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "From who?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, the Boogeyman, for example. And just...fear in general, I suppose."

"Uh huh. Look, Jack, Halloween is tonight, and that's sort of my gig so...If you dont mind, could it wait?"

"Well...I really dont know."

"Well its gonna have to." she said brusquely, moving to close the door. He shot out his hand to hold it open.

"Could I stay, at least? Maybe I could...I dont know, help?"

Sarah paused, unsure of how to answer. Nobody had ever offered to help her before. After a moment, she nodded and opened the door wide, stepping back to let him in. Closing the door behind him, she watched him carefully as he took in her house.

"This is pretty close to a neighborhood. How come nobody's bothered to tear it down or anything?" he asked.

"It has a reputation for being haunted." she answered, smirking in spite of herself.

"Oh?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Yes, legend has it a young woman died on this property a few hundred years ago. They say that to this day she wanders the lot, and her screams can be heard all through the night." she said, circling him. "I've done well keeping that myth alive. Keeps people from tearing this place down. You will not believe how easy it is to scare people. And whats especially hilarious is that they keep coming back for more. Guess they like to get scared."

"And I guess thats why you are in charge of Halloween?"

"Well thats not the only reason. The little ones dont like scares like their older brothers and sisters. They're just in it for the candy. I like to add a little to their load when i see 'em passing by." she winked at him. "I hear it makes the Toothfairy angrier than a hornets nest."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, I think it does." He continued looking around, taking in the blackened walls. "I guess there really was a fire here once?"

Sarah shrugged. "I wouldnt know. I just sorta..." she trailed off, staring at the ground and biting her lip.

"What is it?" Jack asked softly, moving closer to her, his arms outstretched.

"It's nothing." she said, stepping away from him. "So, you want to help with Halloween? Well, lets get started then."

The two spent the rest of the day making her house extra creepy, not that it really needed it. All of the shutters creaked and were in some sort of disarray. Every single window was broken. The faded, rotting wood that made up the outside walls had cracks and holes in them. All of the furniture was tattered and dirty. The only thing they had to do was spray paint some ominous warnings on the inside and make the only tree on the lot look dead, as it still had leaves on it.

As the sun began to set and children began trick or treating, Sarah and Jack stood back to admire their handiwork.

"Well, looks creepy enough." Sarah said smiling. "Now comes the fun. Come on!" She grabbed Jack by the front of his hoodie and jumped on her broom. Jack stumbled on behind her and the two zoomed off to the neighborhood. As they went, Jack noticed that the streetlights subtly grew brighter as the sky grew darker.

"Are you doing that?"

"Yeah. Keeps the kids safer."

She slowed down a bit and waved her hand over a passing child's bag of candy. A small handful of lollipops and hard candies fell into the bag. She did this for every child she passed until she came to a full stop on the broom and snapped her fingers.

"What did you just do?"

"I added candy to every trick or treat bag or bucket in the world. C'mon, by now some kids are likely making their way to my house. I hope you dont mind scaring a few of em!" They zoomed up, over the neighborhood and back to her house. Just as she predicted, a few young teenagers were slowly approaching her dark house. Once the broom came to a stop, the two dismounted and snuck through the back door.

"Ok, they cant see me, so-" she paused, looking at Jack. "Can they see you?"

"Um, I dont think so, only a few kids can see me." he answered, sounding unsure.

"Well, um, hide in the fire place then, I guess? Or outside? Just in case they can. This whole haunted house routine wont work if they can see you."

Jack started to protest, but the teens were already opening the door, so he quickly snuck into the living room and hide in the fireplace.

Sarah watched as the leader of the group boldly entered the foyer and glanced around at the interior. "This isnt so scary." she said, though there was a slight quiver in her voice.

Sarah smirked. "Now the fun begins."

As he sat curled up in the blackened and dusty fireplace, all Jack heard was some moaning, something falling and the teenagers screams as they bolted out of the house. As he waited for Sarah in the silence that followed, he thought he heard a familiar voice. He crawled out of the fireplace and looked around, listening hard. There were definitely voices. It sounded like Sarah was talking to someone. Jack stood up and approached the voices. As he got closer, the second voice became clear.

"Pitch!" he yelled, running into the remnants of a kitchen. There, Sarah was dusting some glass fragments off her bodice while conversing with Pitch. When Jack yelled, the two looked up. Sarah looked alarmed, but Pitch just smiled.

"Hello, Jack. How have you been?" he said as if greeting a friend.

"You know each other?" Sarah asked, bewildered.

"Yeah!" Jack said fiercely, aiming his staff at Pitch. "He nearly-Wait. How do you know him?"

"He's been my only friend for years. Neither of us can be seen, so..." Sarah trailed off. She placed her hands on her small hips and frowned. "Why are you pointing that at him?"

"How can you be friends with him? He's the boogeyman! He feeds off children's nightmares!"

"Well, he wants to be seen and thats the only thing he can do. What would you do?"

"I-Well I wouldnt-" Jack couldnt think of a retort.

"Exactly. I mean, I've scolded him about it many times before but what can ya do? And what can he do, really? It's not his fault he's like this. Why did the Man in the Moon choose him to be the boogeyman?"

Jack stared at her in disbelief.

"Look, bottom line is he is my friend and you are not to attack him in my house." Sarah strode towards Jack and pushed his staff down. "Understood?"

Jack glared at her. "Fine. I'm going back to the North Pole." He turned his back on her and ran out of her house.


	4. Meet the Guardians, Sarah

"Well? Where is she?" North asked as soon as Jack returned.

"Shes friends with Pitch!" Jack said angrily. Bunny and North gasped. Sandy and Tooth had left; they were too busy to wait around for twenty four hours.

"Whaddya mean shes friends with Pitch?" Bunny asked. "How can anyone be friends with him?"

"I dont know! She was going on about how it wasnt his fault and how neither of them could be seen and..." Jack trailed off and shook his head. "Whats weird is that...it made sense. The only thing he can do is give kids nightmares and spread fear...so is it bad he wants to be seen so he does the only thing he can do?"

Bunny and North looked at each other, words failing them. "What happened? You were gone for so long, we started getting worried."

"Well, I think she genuinely likes bringing joy to children, and protecting them, so she'd be a good guardian. She makes the streetlights biger so its safer when they're trick or treating, and she adds candy to their bags. But..."

"But...?"

"She...scares them, too. The house shes stays in, it has a reputation for being haunted because she scares everybody who goes in there. She might just do it to keep people off the land, but I think she does it for laughs."

"No wonder she's friends with Pitch then." Bunny sneered.

Jack sat down, thinking, tuning out Bunny and North. _The Sarah I knew liked scaring people also, but she never meant any harm...she would only ever scare the older kids, sometimes maybe trick the younger kids, but she never went too far...And what was it she said..._

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed, standing up.

"What is it?" North asked.

"Sarah doesnt scare people for laughs...she scares people because people like to get scared every now and then!" Jack said excitedly. Bunny and North stared at him incredulously.

"That doesnt make any sense, mate." Bunny said.

"Sure it does! That would explain why the people kept returning to her house! They like a little scare! And you know she probably doesnt know what Pitch has done, I'll just bring her here and we can explain everything and work everything out." Jack started to leave, but North stopped him.

"I dont know, Jack. She could be dangerous. You cant be too sure..." he said cautiously.

"No, I am sure, she's not dangerous at all, I promise. Let me just bring her in and you'll see."

"Why dont we just go and visit her, eh?"

* * *

Sarah sat on the bed upstairs, her knees to her chest and her arms hugging them closer, in the room where she first woke up. The huge, gaping hole in the roof above her showed a sky that hinted at daybreak. Jack had left hours ago, soon followed by Pitch. _Why did Jack hate Pitch so much? And why...how...does he know me?_ she thought, biting her lip and rocking back and forth.

A sudden commotion and a crash outside made her fall off with a squeal. She heard multiple voices, Jack among them. "Back so soon...?" she wondered to herself, climbing to her feet. She descended the creaking stairs outside the bedroom as the visitors entered through the front door loudly.

"Oi, this place gives me the heebie jeebies." a tall rabbit said. Jack was leading him and a large man with rosy cheeks and a white beard into her foyer.

"Jack, who are they?" Sarah asked cautiously, drawing their attention towards her. She paused half way down the stairs, unsure whether she should continue or not.

"The Easter Bunny and North." Jack said, gesturing. "Guys, this is Sarah." Bunny eyed her suspiciously as North strode forward to greet her.

"Hello, lassie!"

"Stop." Sarah said, putting out her hand. Her broom zoomed out of the living room and stopped in front of North, barring him from the stairs. "What are you doing here. Jack, why did you bring him here."

"They wanted to meet you. These are two of the other guardians. Sandy and Tooth are busy right now." Jack answered.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I doubt the Toothfairy wants to see me." Jack chuckled.

"Ay, shelah, why are you so chummy with Pitch?" Bunny asked abruptly. Sarah took a step back, startled.

"Whats it to you?" she said defensively.

"Whaddya mean whats it to me?" Bunny said aggressively.

"Hey, hey! Calm down!" Jack jumped in between them. "Look, maybe if we tell her what Pitch has done-"

"What has he done?" Sarah interrupted. north and Bunny stared up at her, bewildered.

"My dear, he brought about the Dark Ages! An era where fear ruled!" North said in his booming voice.

"And just a few years ago, he nearly brought about a second Dark Ages. But we managed to fend him off and send him back to the shadows." Bunny added.

Sarah shook her head, not wanting to believe what they said. She glanced at Jack, who opened his mouth to speak. But words failed him, and he sighed looking away. "I dont believe you." Sarah said softly. "You just dont understand him. What would you do if the only thing you were capable of was bring fear to people? What would you do? He just wants to be seen! I DONT BELIEVE YOU!" she shouted; the house suddenly went dark, despite the rising sun. All of the shutters slammed closed at the same time. The three guardians braced themselves in the foyer, but a few seconds later, the darkness subsided. Sarah was sitting on the bottom stair, crying. Jack quickly sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. North mimed to Bunny that they should leave and they did so, departing through the front door.

"Sarah..." Jack started softly. She wiped her eyes and looked up at him, sniffling. "What they said was true. Pitch has done terrible things. But," he added, as she was opening her mouth to speak. "I think you're right. He only did those things because he wanted to be seen. I can kind of understand...I wasnt seen by anyone until a few years ago."

Sarah stared at him a moment, taking in what he said. "You know...I havent ever been seen by anyone. At first...it scared me. But then once I started realizing what I could do...all I wanted was to protect children from fear."

Jack blinked. "Then, why-?"

"So I could keep him in check. Thats why I originally became friends with him. But now, its more than that. I consider him a true friend. But...what would happen to that friendship if I became a guardian?"

"I...I'm not sure I know."


	5. To Be or not to Be

"Hey, why dont we do something fun?" Jack suggested after sitting in silence for a short while.

"Like what?" Sarah asked.

"I dont know...maybe we could race? Or...whatever you feel like doing!"

She giggled. "A race sounds like fun."

The two decided on a course that wove through the nearby neighborhoods. Sarah hopped on her broom and the two took off, laughing and playfully taunting each other. Sarah one, and afterwards they had a snowball fight on her lot, the snowballs provided by Jack as it wasnt cold enough for natural snow. North and Bunny, confused by the commotion, got caught in the crossfire and joined in. After an hour, the four convinced Sarah to return to the North Pole with them so she could meet Sandy and Tooth.

"Sarah..." Jack asked on the ride back, sitting next to her in the sleigh. "Do you really not...remember me?"

Sarah stared at him for a long time before biting her lip and shaking her head. "I feel...like you are familiar...but no, I cant...I dont..."She trailed off, looking at her hands in her lap.

"Its ok. I didnt remember anything either for a long time. But Tooth can help. She keeps all the baby teeth she collects, because they store our memories."

"Would she really want to help me?"

"Sure! Well, I mean, I might have to...persuade her a bit..."

Sarah laughed, and then her eyes widened in wonder as they approached the North Pole. "Whoa!" she murmured, standing up to get a better look.

Once inside, Jack had to guide Sarah around half the time, as she was too busy constantly staring around her to watch where she was going. Twice she nearly ran into a yeti, and she tripped over the little elves several times. Bunny met them in front of the globe, along with Sandy and Tooth. Tooth glared at Sarah as soon as she saw her.

"Well, if it isnt the little Cavity Queen." she said.

Sarah chuckled at the comment. "Hello yourself."

"Ladies, please! Let us not fight!" North boomed. Sarah stuck her tongue out at Tooth, who bristled with anger. "Now, to swear you in as a guardian."

"Whoa, whoa, big guy. You guys said I would be meeting the other guardians. You said nothing about swearing me in as one. I still haventdecided if I want to be one." Sarah said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why dont you want to be a guardian?" Tooth asked, confused. "I mean, not that I'm complaining."

Sarah opened her mouth to explain, but Bunny interrupted. "Shes chummy with Pitch."

"What? Why?" Tooth gasped.

"Because hes misunderstood. And..." she glanced at Jack, who nodded. "And because...I protect children from danger and fear. Figured I might as well keep a close eye on him so...and then we became friends." Sarah explained poorly, shrugging.

After a short silence, North laughed. "That makes sense!"

"Crickey, it does." Bunny said, stroking his chin.

"But we are friends. So, I still dont..." Sarah trailed off.

"I think we could make it work." North said off-handedly.

"Well, I think I should at least...warn him...you know? I dont want to hurt him."

The five guardians looked at each other for a moment before Jack said, "Sure. I'll take you back to your house, you can tell him whats up. Oh, before we go, Tooth, can I ask you something?" Jack motioned away from the others. After a few moments of talking, Tooth flew out of the workshop he returned to Sarah. "Ok, she said she'll find your memories."

"Thanks Jack...really, thank you." Sarah said, taking his hand and squeezing it. Jack blushed a little.

"Its-it's nothing." He cleared his throat. "North, mind giving us a portal?"

* * *

When the two returned to Sarah's house, she strode into her kitchen, calling for Pitch.

"Pitch! C'mon man, I have something to discuss with you!"

"So I'm aware." Pitch said from behind them. "You plan on leaving me, abandoning our friendship to become a guardian."

"I'm not going to abandon our friendship. But yes, apparently I am to be the next guardian."

"You realize the guardians are my arch enemies?" Pitch hissed, glaring at Jack.

Sarah turned to Jack as he was about to retort. "Jack, maybe you should wait outside; I'll be ok."

Jack hesitated, not wanting to leave her alone with Pitch, but then nodded. "Ok. I'll be in the living room if you need me." he said, leaving.

"Thank you." Sarah turned back to Pitch. "It doesnt have to be that way, Pitch...Hey, yesterday, you were going to ask me something? What was it? Maybe I can prove to you that we can still be friends even if I'm a guardian."

Pitch stared at her for a minute, then smiled maliciously. "Very well." He placed his hands on either side of her face.

"Pitch...what...what are you doing?" Sarah asked, worried. Her eyes widened. "Pitch...no!"


	6. Fear Becomes Her

Jack paced back and forth in the dusty living room, waiting for Sarah to finish conversing with Pitch. _This is taking too long, somethings up._ he thought. Twice he started to go back into the kitchen, only to stop, unsure. He walked up to and banged his head against one of the walls, sighing.

"Jack...?" a weak voice asked from behind him. Jack spun around. Sarah was standing in the living room. She looked frightened and frail, her hair hanging limp against her shoulders, her eyes bloodshot.

"Sarah! What happened to you?" he asked, rushing over to her. He took her hands in his and looked her over. She was shaking, and her skin was pale.

"I'm...scared, Jack."

"Of what? Pitch did this to you, didnt he?"

Suddenly, her brow furrowed and she pushed him away. "Pitch showed me the truth. You guardians dont really care about the children. You just want to manipulate them so they'll believe in you!" she shouted at him angrily.

"What?" Jack asked, taken aback. "No-Sarah, that isnt true-"

"DONT LIE TO ME." She screamed. The house went dark; Jack could barely see Sarah a foot in front of him.

"Quite the angry one, isnt she, Jack?" Pitch asked out of the darkness. Squinting, Jacks eyes adjusted and he saw the boogeyman standing behind Sarah, his hand on her shoulder. "She just got so upset when I revealed the truth..."

"What truth? You mean your slanted view of it?" Jack said angrily, aiming his staff at him. "What did you do to her?!"

"Why do you care so much?" Pitch asked curiously, moving around Sarah. "Ahh...you love this girl, dont you?"

Jack flew at Pitch, pinning him against the wall behind him. His nose was mere inches from from Pitch's. "What. Did. You. Do."

"I made her live her deepest and greatest fear." Pitch said with a cunning smile. "She wont become a guardian now. And in this state, she is fully under my control. I will attack, stronger than ever." Pitch punched Jack in the stomach; he fell to the floor, gasping in pain. "Using her abilities, you guardians will fall for sure this time. Now, my dear." he said, taking Sarah's hand. "Let's be off." In a swirl of shadows, they disappeared. The room brightened, the fading sunlight streaming through the broken windows.

Jack climbed to his feet slowly, one arm around his stomach. "I gotta warn the others..." he groaned. He stumbled outside and let the wind carry him to the North Pole.

* * *

Jack sloppily landed on the floor of North's workshop, looking around wildly.

"Jack? Whats the matter?" North asked, turning away from his Yetis.

"Pitch...Sarah...he...he did something..." Jack said distractedly. "I dont know where they're going."

"We have to warn the others, before they-"

Both men froze as shadows spread throughout the workshop. Jingling filled the air as the little elves ran and hid behind North. Pitch's cackling echoed throughout the workshop. Jack readied his staff as the yetis brought North his sabers. Soon, the entire workshop was shrouded in darkness. "Isnt she brilliant?" Pitch said through the gloom. "Such raw talent...and all to bring fear to the world."

"No!" Jack shouted. "She would never use her power to bring fear, she told me herself, she wants to protect children from fear!"

"Then why would she be friends with me?"

"To keep an eye on you!"

Pitch appeared out of the shadows feet from Jack. "Thats absurd." he growled.

"Oh really? I think you're just afraid that your only friend isnt a true friend!"

Jack and North flinched as the sound of breaking glass filled the air. Pitch's Nightmares stormed North's workplace, wrecking everything. The yetis swatted at them, but the darkness persisted and they couldnt see but a few feet in front of them. Jack and North tried to fend them off, but they had the same problem.

"North! We cant stay here, we have to go, theres nothing we can do in this darkness!" Jack shouted. North reluctantly nodded. He grabbed Jack and tossed a snowglbe. The two jumped through it along with several yetis and elves, landing inside the Tooth Palace. The portal quickly closed up behind them.

"Jack? North? Whats going on?" Tooth called, flying down to meet them.

"Pitch attacked the North Pole...he's... controlling Sarah..." Jack tried to explain.

"What do you mean, controlling her?"

"He said he made her live her worst fear. She was completely different, as if something sucked the life out of her or something..."Jack shook his head and sat down, defeated. "We've got to help her, but I dont know how..."

"Jack...I might have an idea." Tooth said, kneeling down next to him. She held out a gold cylinder with Sarah's face on it. "And I found something else, too..."


	7. Remember

Sarah sat on a weathered tombstone in a graveyard behind her home. A willow tree swayed in the light breeze nearby. The sky was overcast and gloomy. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself, a tear escaping her eye. "What have I done..." she murmured. A distant fluttering grabbed her attention and she looked up violently. Tooth flitted over to her, holding a gold cylinder. "What do you want." the witch asked venomously.

Tooth's eyes narrowed. "Jack mentioned that you dont remember your previous life. These are your memories." She held out the cylinder. Sarah gently took it from her, holding it with care.

"This...I'll remember...I'll remember Jack?" she asked softly.

Tooth nodded. "Just touch it." she said, pointing before flitting off.

Sarah watched her go before returning her gaze to the cylinder that contained her memories. She caressed the casing before touching the center. The cylinder glowed bright and as her eyes widened with awe, she watched as her past played out before her.

* * *

"C'mon, Jack! Let's walk the kids home." Sarah said, holding a little girls hand. Her hair was in one braid down her back, and she was wearing a brown dress that went down to her ankles. Behind her was a group of young children and behind them was Jack, goofing off and laughing.

The scene changed, blurring into a sunny day. Jack was swinging from a branch. "Jack, you're going to hurt yourself!" Sarah called from below. Jack deftly swung and landed next to her, causing her to shriek. He gathered her up in his arms and the two shared a kiss.

Once again, the scene changed. She recognized her house, but it was burning. A little girl was screaming from an upstairs window. Sarah bolted into the house and up the stairs, covering her mouth with the crook of her elbow. She ran into the room and picked up the girl. "Shush, sweetie, its ok, I'm here, I'll protect you. Nothing will happen to you." She raced back to the stairs, but part of the roof fell in, blocking the exit. A few men had followed her inside, but were waiting below unable to climb the stairs. "Sweetheart, listen, I'm going to toss you, you have to get out, don worry about me, just get out."

"Sarah I'm scared!"

"I know baby, trust me, ok?" Sarah tried to give a reassuring smile before yelling at the men to get close. She gently tossed the child to them; they caught her and one man carried her outside while the other two turned back to Sarah. She prepared to jump, but more of the roof fell in, knocking her back. She crawled, coughing fiercely, back to the room where the child had been, in the hopes of climbing out through the window. Before she could manage past the bed, a loud creaking drew her attention above her; the ceiling beams were cracking and giving in. Before she could scream, they fell on top of her.

* * *

Sarah fell backwards in shock. Gasping, her appearance brightened and the clouds cleared. "Sarah?" a voice asked.

"Jack!" she said excitedly. She scrambled up from the ground and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him. "I remember now!"

Jack sighed, circling his arms around her waist. "I'm so glad...Sarah, I was so worried." He stood back, cupping her face with one hand. "What did Pitch do to you?"

"He made me live through my worst fear. I had to witness children, terrified, lonely children, and i couldnt do anything for them." she said, her eyes tearing up.

"Shuuush, shush." Jack whispered, wiping away her tears. "That must be why you are destined to be a guardian. To make sure there arent any terrified, lonely children."

Sarah smiled, then sighed. "I suppose I should go apologize to North for helping to wreck his shop."

"Not necessary, though we do need to face Pitch. Speaking of which, Tooth gave me this." He pulled out a gold cylinder similar to hers.

"Whats that?"

"Pitch's daughter's memories. I know why he was so close to you."

Sarah frowned. "Why?"

"You remind him of her."

"What happened to her?" she asked softly.

"She um...she...she passed...when she was very young."

"Oh..."

"C'mon, we need to meet up with the others." Jack said after a moment. "We need to decide what to do with Pitch once and for all."


	8. Balance

Sarah and Jack arrived at Tooth's palace, landing near where the others were gathered. Bunny pulled out his boomerangs and sprung at Sarah.

"Whoa, hey, calm down there!" Jack said, zooming in between them as Sarah landed. "Everything's fine now, shes on our side."

"Whaddya mean, mate, she helped Pitch wreck North's place!" Bunny asked indignantly.

"I know, and I'm deeply sorry..." Sarah said, turning to face North as he approached them. "I wasn't quite myself, you see..."

"We know." Tooth said with a gentle smile. North smiled reassuringly before turning to Jack.

"We haven't seen or heard from Pitch since the attack."

"That's because I was keeping an eye on things." a malevolent voice said. Everyone turned to look behind them; Pitch was standing in the shadows, glaring at the six guardians. "How dare you take her from me." he hissed at Jack. "How dare you!"

Jack jumped in front of her, his staff raised threateningly. "You won't be getting her back!"

Sarah gentle placed her hand on Jack's shoulder, smiling in a reassuring manner. "I've got this. Don't worry about me."

"Sarah, no, what are you doing?" he asked, watching incredulously as she approached Pitch.

"Pitch. I know I remind you of your daughter." she said soothingly. Pitch scowled. "Did you think of me as your own daughter? Because of that? It's ok..." she smiled gently, stopping a few feet from him. "If you must know, you reminded me of my father. I looked up to you as a father and a close friend, ever since we met."

"You're lying." Pitch growled.

"No, I'm not. You were my only friend for so long...why'd you do that to me?" Pitch avoid looking at her and didnt answer. "You were afraid to lose me, werent you?" she asked quietly. "You thought that if I had become a full fledged Guardian...we wouldnt be friends anymore?" She took a few more steps toward him. "Pitch, we'll always be friends...I understand that you're life is unfair...You want to be seen, but to be seen you must terrify children...It isnt fair, the hand you've been dealt..." Pitch glanced at her, still looking defiant, though there was a subtle hint of uncertainty around his watery eyes. Sarah grabbed his hand; he didnt pull away. "You don't have to be our enemy. There can be no light without the dark. Please."

There was a moment of silence during which no one moved.

"She's right you know." North said, breaking the silence. "If we work together, we can bring balance to the world."

"Fat chance." growled Bunny.

"He, c'mon, let's try to make it work." Jack said playfully, leaning against his staff. He walked over to Sarah and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding the other hand out to Pitch. "Deal?"

Pitch stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, then, still holding Sarah's hand, shook Jack's with his opposite hand. "Deal." he said softly, with a small smile.


End file.
